New members wanted for the Broads Authority

Would you like to help make the decisions that affect the future of the Broads?

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is recruiting two new members to the Broads Authority which is a member of the National Park family.

The Secretary of State appoints ten members to the Authority to reflect the national importance of the Broads with responsibility for conservation, recreation, the maintenance of the navigation area, planning, access, land management and resources.

The appointments will commence from April 2013 and are initially for up to four years with the option of re-appointment for a total period of up to eight years.
In the coming two years the Authority plans to improve water quality, restore more of the fen areas to productive management, work with local businesses to foster sustainable tourism and maintain its enhanced level of maintenance activity.

The Authority is currently working with Dutch, Belgian and French partners on promoting innovative solutions to the dredging and disposal of sediment from the rivers and broads.
It is expected that new members would take an interest across all the Authority’s functions and an induction programme is provided.

New members are also being appointed to the Dartmoor, Exmoor, New Forest, North York Moors, Peak District and South Downs National Park Authorities and Chilterns and Cotswolds AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) Conservation Boards.

Applications are particularly encouraged from members of ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, women and young people.

Application forms and further details are available on-line at http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/national-parks. If you would like an application pack by post, please contact Chris Buxton at Natural England, Foundry House, 3 Millsands, Riverside Exchange, Sheffield, S3 8NH (Telephone 0300 060 2745 or e-mail sos.appointments@naturalengland.org.uk ).

Deadline for receipt of applications is Friday 16 November 2012. To discuss the Broads Authority role contact: John Organ on 01603 756073

Rare spider introduced to the Norfolk Broads

One of Britain’s rarest and most spectacular spiders has been introduced to the Norfolk Broads after an intensive captive breeding programme.

A thousand hand-reared fen raft baby spiders or spiderlings have been released on the RSPB’s Mid-Yare reserve in an effort to generate new populations of this vulnerable species in Norfolk, where they are now restricted to a single site.

The fen raft spider, (Dolomedes plantarius) is Britain’s biggest spider and can grow to the size of a woman’s palm with a body length of 23mm. It can literally walk on water to catch its prey but owing to deterioration and loss of wetland habitats, its population has suffered. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species and as Threatened in the UK Red Data Book.

The fen raft spider is only found on three wetland sites in the UK - Redgrave and Lopham Fen National Nature Reserve in Norfolk where it was first discovered in Britain in1956, the Pevensey Levels in Southern England and in South Wales.

The release of the baby spiders were watched by their foster parents, mainly staff from zoos, who have patiently reared them in individual test-tubes over the summer. The spiderlings have been bred from the wild population at Redgrave and Lopham Fen Reserve.

Ecologist Dr Helen Smith, who co-ordinates the Fen Raft Spider Species Recovery programme for Natural England, devised the test tube rearing techniques with the John Innes Centre in Norwich. She has reared 5,000 spiderlings in her own kitchen over the last three years.

“I think everyone who does captive rearing gets very attached to them,” she said. “The baby spiders each have their own test-tube to avoid them eating each other so you have to devote yourself to feeding them for three months. We achieve survival rates of around 90% over this period, when survival in the wild would be very low.

“The Mid Yare reserve is a very good habitat and the spiders will be able to spread easily from the release site. It’s very exciting to be able to establish a new population in the heart of the Broads.”

Tim Strudwick, RSPB Site Manager, said "We are delighted to be able to provide a new home for fen raft spiders. The RSPB staff and volunteers have worked hard for many years to get the grazing marsh habitat into good condition for all kinds of wildlife and seeing ‘lost’ species return is the best reward.”

Between 2010 and 2012 nearly 12,000 spiderlings will have been released to the wild to establish new populations in Norfolk and Suffolk. At Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s reserve at Castle Marshes near Lowestoft they have been breeding successfully this year, producing an estimated 50 nursery webs. The aim of the programme is to secure the future of this species in the UK by increasing the number of populations from three to 12 by 2020.

The Fen Raft Spider Translocation Programme is funded by Natural England England, the Broads Authority, the BBC Wildlife Fund and volunteers. Other partners are the Suffolk, Sussex and Norfolk Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, the University of Nottingham, Buglife and the British Arachnological Society.

For more information about the programme visit: www.dolomedes.org.uk

Hunter Horizon 273

I was really impressed with this small Yacht I surveyed today. A modern small cruiser from British Hunter, with fractional rig and self-tacking jib for easy handling. She has accommodation for up to 5, including a small double berth aft.

Between 1988 and 1995, about 200 were built, with minor differences and name changes, from Hunter 27 to 272 and 273. The boat Surveyed is a Horizon 273 twin keel, built by Hunters in 1994. Some boats were built as a 'sailaway kit', and completed and launched by the first owners. Hunter 'sailaway kits' had all structural work completed by the factory - as the name implies the boats supplied in this fashion were ready to sail. Owner completion was restricted to fitting internal trim and fittings, and we generally find very little difference between 'factory finished' and 'home finished' British Hunters.

Surveyors comments: Regularly check the rigging for tensioning and the lock nuts or pins for safetying. The first inspection should be performed after a few days at sea in various weathers. Secure, lubricate and check the bottle screws for tensioning: if the rigging is loose, the chain plate friction may generate wear. Never lubricate bottle screws with silicon grease: use tallow, graphite grease or other. Change all shrouds or stays exhibiting kinks, severed wires or other defects. Regularly check the chain plates and stays for condition. Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? Call Insight Marine Surveys Ltd. I specialise in Boats of all types, and I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com

Connoisseur 37

I had a visit to Woods Dyke Boat Yard in Horning today on the Northern Broads to Survey this Connoisseur 37 River Cruiser. The acting Broker was Norfolk Yacht Agency.

Since the early 1990s, Porter & Haylett have been known as Connoisseur Cruisers, named after their most successful classes. In 2009, the company took the name of the parent company Le Boat and moved their base to the old Wilds yard in Horning.
 
The Connoisseur 37 was first produced in 1979, followed in the early 1980s, by the longer 42ft version. The second pairing was produced during 1992 (for the 45ft version) and 1993 (for the 40ft).

In 2007 Connoisseur come together with Crown Blue Line and Emerald Star to become Le Boat with over 1100 boats across Europe.

Ferry Marine now operate the crain at Woods Dyke.

 

Ive Surveyed a number of these cruisers over the years. They have a good reputation for being well built out of good quality materials. A few blisters on the bottom (osmosis) is not uncommon and usually in significant, the hull mould is thick…. well above the standards of thickness on hulls built these days.

Check deck fittings are all secure and not allowing any rain water to enter the vessel. If any deck fittings have been leaking check the bulkheads for any degrading.

Some window leaks are not uncommon on older models. To stop windows leaking you may have use a non-hardening caulking so that the caulking can move with the expansion. To deal with this problem, you may have to remove the frames, rebed them and refasten them less tightly than they were previously installed.

Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? Call Insight Marine Surveys Ltd. I specialise in Boats of all types, and I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com

Hampton Safari

I had trip to Norfolk Yacht Agency today to Survey yet another Hampton Safari.
This years boat sales on the Broads has been remarkable considering the state of the economy. Strangely I feel that the recession has had a part to play in this significant increase in business. For years we have been told how bad things are and how much worse they are going to get, but with the ridiculously low interest rates on savings it doesn't surprise me that boat sales have been on the increase.

When we travel abroad our pound buys us so much less than ever before and as a result, many of us are looking at ways of getting back that "feel good" factor by buying the boat we have dreamed of, feeling secure that in these current economic times a boat can often be an investment opportunity! There’s almost a ‘Life’s to Short’ attitude with many of my clients, and many of the older generation are left wondering why they should leave their savings in a bank account doing very little!

Speaking to many of my customers…. they word is they are no longer being put off by the "doom and gloom" brigade…. It could be a very good 2013!



Jet washing off all the marine life!

Norfolk Yacht Agency have just installed a new electric hoist in the workshops...cable of lifting up to ten tons, other facilities include a joinery machine shop and engineering workshop and they are able to carry out all types of work from routine maintenance to full renovation and fit-out projects.

Please type in Hampton in the search box and check out all the boats I have Surveyed over the last 2 years, and lots of comments on what to look for when buying.

Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? Call Insight Marine Surveys Ltd. I specialise in Boats of all types, and I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com